Just read on german zdf teletext that May and Taylor said, they will go on tour next year.

Of course we have heard "news" like this during the last years hundreds of times. So I did not believe this.

Then I decided to take a look on the "Wetten dass" homepage. And they have an interview there with Roger and Brian. Just watched a part of the Roger interview. It's about 7 minutes long and he really says, really, that they will go on tour in Spring 2005 in Europe and that Paul Rodgers will be their singer. Really. You do not believe me, do you?

Excellent news! Paul Rodgers is a brilliant vocalist so will put a whole new slant on some of the back catologue! Thank god they didn't plumb for a Freddie clone! I really hope this happens I'm missing my Queen live fix!!

At the moment it seems this is one of the most sensational threads ever :) I couldn't hardly believe my ears - but both Roger and Brian actually confirmed that they "made the decision" to do a "Queen tour" "next year"......

...Roger Taylor:

"We decided we gonna do a Queen tour. We're touring in Deutschland, in Germany, and Europe next spring. So, first time in many years: a Queen tour - brand-new news and we are very excited to do that. ... We have a fantastic singer ... his name is Paul Rodgers. ... He was one of Freddie's favourite singers - and one of our favourite singers."

...Brian May:

"We didn't finally push the button yet, but really we made the decision that we want to do this [a tour next year]. Finally we found a singer that we want to work with. It doesn't mean he joins the band. Nobody is replacing Freddie. ... Paul Rodgers ... we thought okay, this is somebody worthy of going out with and making something new. ... We want to make something new, we want to make something which means something now."

Finally we found a singer that we want to work with. It doesn't mean he joins the band. Nobody is replacing Freddie. ... Paul Rogers ... we thought okay, this is somebody worthy of going out with and making something new. ... We want to make something new, we want to make something which means something now."

Oh come on Brian!!! You can't bloody have it both ways. Either he joins the fucking band or you don't play under the Queen banner. Trying to retain your credibility through semantics is just pathetic. You said Queen was finished cause Freddie couldn't be replaced but that Queen drum kit has been there in everything you do. Now you are going to tour under the name Queen, sing lots of Queen songs, but the lead singer is just guesting, he's not really part of the band. We're in fact not really Queen up here, that's just what we are calling ourselves...

What a fucking muddle. Why they didn't just call themselves 'Almost Royalty' and do what they wanted to is a mystery.

If I was being cynical, I would say that Roger said 'YES we're touring' out in the public - and he did seem eager to say it in the interview, he wasn't even asked about it, he interrupted a question and announced it - to force brian into commiting to it. Because we know that it's been Brian who has always been hesitant about it.